The Apology
by katina-katchoo
Summary: AU Short chapter story. Set after Emma brings Marion back to Storybrooke. Regina is upset but one night Emma summons up the courage to visit her former friend. But will they resolve their issues in time before a new evil threatens the town? The rating is now M to allow for upcoming events.
1. Late Night Apology

Standing in the deep night shadows of the old tree, Emma silently watched the solitary light that illuminated the living room window of the large house on the other side of the quiet suburban street. This was the fourth, no, fifth night in a row that she had held this solitary vigil waiting and watching until, at last, the light would be extinguished for the night. Maybe tonight would be the night when Emma would finally summon enough courage to do more than lurk unseen.

It had all been going so well – an unspoken peace had been brokered between them and sometimes, when life seemed to be grinding its teeth against her soul with more ferocity than usual, Emma had always bolstered herself by allowing herself to think that they had even finally become friends. But then Emma – stupid, awkward, thick Emma – had gone and ruined everything with one simple mistake. Sure, what she had done had only been motivated by the best of intentions but she should have stopped for a moment to recall that the road to hell had always been paved with good intentions. She had always been able to screw things up on the largest of scales.

And now? Now that she had ruined everything? Now it was a constant tirade of icy attitude, malicious sneering and venomous comments being hurled in her direction whenever she made any tentative attempts to approach her former associate. Heck, even if she made the mistake of inadvertently walking on the same side of the street, the reception was frosty to say the least.

This torture had gone on for several weeks and showed no sign of abating in the near future and it was starting to rub Emma emotionally raw. If only things could be as they had been before Emma had made her mistake – if only the antagonism could be dispelled and become nothing more than a distant memory. Being pragmatic, Emma knew that it was unrealistic to want life to be exactly the same as it had been before – it was unrealistic to expect such a miracle even in a town infused with magic – but maybe, just maybe, she could do something to make things tolerable. So Emma devised a plan which would surely work.

Well, she thought, it would work if she could summon up enough courage to follow through with this plan of hers but, so far, she hadn't been able to get any further than lurking beneath this tree. And that wasn't changing things at all except for making Emma feel like she was becoming stalker-like in her behaviour which was seriously worrying.

Emma sighed quietly. It was now or never, she decided. After all, what was the worst that could happen? No, don't think about that, pretty bad things could happen if things didn't go as she had planned but that was a risk that she was going to have to take. Taking a deep breath and clutching almost frantically at her remaining shreds of courage, Emma stepped out from the comforting shadows and crossed the street.

Somehow the door before seemed imposing even though it was the same door that she had passed through so many times before. But it was now or never. Emma knocked on the wood before her with a confidence that she most certainly didn't feel. It didn't take long before she could hear the soft footfall of slippers approaching the door with a determined tread. Fighting a sudden urge to flee, Emma waited – her heart beating so hard she feared it would burst out of her chest. _Well, at least it would save Regina the trouble of having to do so_, she thought wryly.

The door swung open abruptly and bright light spilled out over Emma. Clearly not amused at being disturbed at this late hour, Regina scowled out at whoever had disturbed her evening. When she realised that the intruder was Emma, her scowl deepened even further and she started to slam the door. Expecting that this would probably be Regina's initial reaction, Emma was prepared and quickly stuck her foot in the doorway.

The door ricocheted off Emma's boot and nearly hit Regina on the rebound. Her dark eyes flaring with a dangerous light, Regina tried to slam the door again with the same lack of success. Why this apparently wasn't harming Emma's foot in any way, Regina did not know nor did she really care except, perhaps, for the sole reason that her actions weren't causing Emma any apparent discomfort. For a third time she tried to slam the door on the annoying blonde even though she knew it was a futile action. But it was the intent of her gesture that mattered.

This time as the door swung back towards Regina, Emma gave a sheepish grin and explained, "Leroy's steel-cap work boots."

Holding the door partially open Regina snarled venomously, "Well Ms Swan, you can take Leroy's boot from out of my doorway and shove it where the..."

"Regina!" Emma interrupted, "I need to talk to you."

"I don't think so, Ms Swan," Regina growled. "There is nothing that I can think of that we would need to discuss. Not now, not ever." She gasped audibly as Emma shoved the door open and pushed past her into the foyer. "I don't know what makes you have the right to just barge..."

"Look," Emma said, her voice tight with emotion, "I know that I'm the last person on Earth, or anywhere else, that you want to see but I have something I need to say to you." She clenched her fists in frustration. "Just let me say what I've come to say Regina. Then I'm outta here and you'll never see me again."

Her dark eyes still flashing dangerously, Regina said, with obvious distaste, "Very well. Say what you must Ms Swan, though I doubt that there's anything you could say that would be of the slightest interest to me. And when you've said it, get the hell out of my home." She pulled her robe more tightly over the top of her satin pyjamas and then folded her arms just as tightly over her chest. She was not amused by this intrusion and was making sure her unwelcome house guest was aware of this fact.

Shoving her still clenched fists into the pockets of her red leather jacket, the blonde stared at the floor, trying to get her thoughts into order.

"For someone who was so fired up to talk to me that she had to force her way into my house so late at night, you certainly are being reticent in your comments," Regina growled.

Emma raised her head to look Regina straight in the eyes. Taking a deep breath she said, "I came to apologise for ruining your chance for a happy ending with Robin by bringing Marion back with me."

Regina smirked. "And so you should be sorry."

Emma glanced up at the ceiling and chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. Then she looked straight at Regina again. "That's the thing – I'm not sorry." Choosing to ignore Regina's shocked reaction, she continued, "I apologise because it wasn't my intention to break the two of you up but I'm not sorry that I did. In fact, if I had the opportunity to make the choice again and I knew that I would be rescuing Marion, I'd do the exact same thing again."

"But why?" Regina frowned at her adversary. "What reason would you have to that? I thought we had become friends. Why would you want to hurt me?"

Emma sighed and removed her now unclenched hands from her pockets. "For such an intelligent woman, why are you sometimes so thick?"

This comment didn't go down well with the mayor. "I could say the same Ms Swan," she spat. "You seem to forget that I'm quite capable to turning you into a cinder if I wanted to. Annoy me any further and you may find out first-hand what I mean."

Holding up her hands in supplication, Emma said, "Okay, okay. That was something I shouldn't have said. I wasn't trying to antagonise you."

"You weren't? Now that's not like you."

A determined expression on her face, Emma deliberately stepped forward into Regina's personal space and continued to step forward until the mayor was backed up against the wall. Putting her hands up on the wall either side of Regina so that she couldn't sidle away, Emma said, "I hated it you know – watching you two together. All the hand-holding, all the giggling together at some lovers' joke, all the hugging, all the kissing, all the happiness. It just about drove me crazy."

Regina gave a regal sneer. "So all this is because you were jealous of me being with Robin? You thought that someone like you had a chance with him? Please don't make me laugh."

Straw meet camel's back. Emma thrust her face close to Regina's and growled, "No! You stupid woman, you still don't get it. I wasn't jealous of you, I was jealous of Robin. I wanted to be the one holding your hand, I wanted to be the one who made your face light up when you smiled, I wanted to..." So overwhelmed by emotion she was unable to speak coherently any more so Emma grabbed Regina's face firmly in her hands and gave her a passionate lingering kiss before letting her go.

Regina was completely stunned by this and stood as if a statue.

Emma collected herself. "So now you know. That's what I had to tell you. Goodbye Regina." She turned and walked outside, closing the door softly behind her.

Inside Regina raised trembling fingers to her still tingling lips and stared at the closed door for a long time.


	2. Realisation

**I had intended to leave ****The Apology**** as a one-shot but thanks to some encouragement from some kind reviewers, I am now extending the story.**

**I don't always get much time to write so I plan to make the chapters shortish - that way I'm more likely to be able to post new ones in a timely manner.**

**Reviews are much appreciated.**

Regina stared out of her bedroom window, down at her beloved apple tree as the first rays of morning light reached out over the hedge to caress the fruit tree's leaves. This didn't really register with Regina as her mind was overflowing with memories of the night before. The churning of the whens, whys and whos had kept her awake for much of the night and even now, after hours of tossing and turning, she was no closer to understanding her unconscious reaction to Emma's statement and especially not her physical reaction to the kiss. The kiss! Regina's lips still tingled from the memory of Emma's soft lips pressing against her own.

Leaning slightly forward, she pressed her forehead against the cool of the window glass but it did nothing to soothe the fever raging in her brain. She sighed heavily. It was all so overwhelming – a condition Regina was definitely not used to experiencing. She was the one in control, she was the one who decided what people should do and would do – she was the Queen or Mayor or whatever, damn it! Her shoulders slumped as she realised that all the power that she wielded amounted to nought when it came to this situation.

Moving away from the window, Regina sat on the edge of her bed. Closing her eyes wearily she tried to get her thoughts into some semblance of order. There was so much to try and work out and there also seemed to be something else nagging at her, some other thought that was clamouring for her attention in the back of her mind.

"Focus Regina," she instructed herself. "Start at the beginning. One step at a time."

She hadn't hated Emma when she first met her – she had hated the idea that this woman might take Henry away from her. It was a mother's instinct that had led her to doing everything that she could to prevent this from happening. But then, at the same time she hadn't been able to stop herself from admiring this feisty blonde who was so determined to do what was right and wouldn't back down from confrontation with anyone. They had occasion to cross verbal swords again and again and, while she would never admit it to anyone, she had come to look forward to those sparring sessions. And she had felt a great contentment settle on her soul when they at last forged their friendship. It had been as if it was their destiny.

And Robin? Regina frowned slightly at her mental image of the likeable vagabond. She had thought that she had loved him – that **he** had been destined to be her true love. But now, now, she wasn't certain. She had most definitely enjoyed being with him but, now that she thought about it, there had been no time when his kisses had sparked the same fire that Regina had felt surge through her body when Emma kissed her. She had never woken up the next morning with her lips still tingling with the memory of his lips upon hers.

It was true that Tinkerbell had identified Robin as being her True Love but that was long ago and in another realm. Time and circumstance changed people, sometimes dramatically, and maybe what would have been true then was now nothing but a lie. If Regina and Robin were meant to be each other's true love in this time and place, then why had he been so quick to abandon her and rush back to Marion's side?

Regina opened her eyes and stared out at the sky as the pieces started to fall into place. She had never really thought of being in love with another woman but that was only because of the manner in which she had been raised. Now that she allowed for that possibility, that freedom, she realised that her feelings of friendship towards Emma were really something deeper. She had fallen in love with the blonde as naturally as breathing – so naturally she hadn't realised what had happened – not until Emma's kiss had awoken her passions.

Regina stood and grabbed her mobile from her bedside table. She had to talk to Emma as soon as possible – to let her know that the feelings were reciprocated. Yes, yes, they had a lot to talk through as, to be honest, Regina had been quite a bitch towards Emma after Marion's return. That was when she had been blind to reality and her true emotions so she now had lots of apologising to do. Regina gave a small cheeky smile as she thought how much she would enjoy making up for her behaviour with Emma. And she was certain Emma would enjoy it too.

She hit Emma's speed dial number and waited, anxiously. She wasn't quite sure what she would say but she was certain it wouldn't matter in the end. She listened to the phone ring a number of times before it went to voicemail. Regina hung up immediately. What she had to say couldn't be left as a brief message that would be heard who knows when.

It was Saturday so Emma would be with Henry down at Granny's. If Regina had a quick shower she could be down there in about twenty minutes. After all, she did want to look her best for Emma. Throwing her phone on the bed, Regina rushed into the bathroom to get ready.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Emma and Henry were occupying one of the booths in the diner. They had been having a latish breakfast and talking about matters of no real consequence. Just stuff that resulted in lots of laughing by both parties.

When Emma's phone rang, she fished it out of her coat and the smile that had been occupying her face fled to parts unknown as she saw that the caller was Regina. Rejecting the call, she slipped the phone back into her pocket and returned her attention to her son.

"Was that Mom?" he asked.

"What?" Emma was a little flustered – she hadn't expected that Regina would try and get in touch with her.

"Mom?" Henry repeated, "You know, the one who's mayor."

"No," Emma insisted, perhaps a little too forcefully. "Why would she suddenly start ringing me?"

Henry shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "It was just how you reacted that made me think, you know..."

Emma smiled weakly. "Good detective work kid, but I'm afraid you've read the clues incorrectly." She thought quickly. "It was just about work. Something's come up so I won't be able to spend the day with you like we planned."

"Maybe tomorrow then," Henry suggested hopefully.

Emma pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Sounds like an excellent idea kiddo." She put some money on the table and got up. "Have another hot chocolate on me."

"Cool. Thanks." Henry picked up the money.

"I'll catch up with you later Henry. I'm not sure how long this will take but I'm hoping it won't be too long."

"Sure thing Mom. Bye." Henry slipped out of the booth and started towards the counter to order his chocolate.

Emma smiled fondly at his back and then quietly left the diner.


	3. A Mystery Perhaps?

**Sorry about the long hiatus between chapters folks :( Sometimes RL really sucks and you don't realise it until you get slapped in the face with a wet fish.) I hope to not take as much time to post the next chapter as I know what's gong to happen and I think it could be interesting. [I find it interesting but that's just me.]**

**Please note – there may be some questions about character behaviour which will be explained further down the track. [And yes I do know that Henry still living with Regina is not canon at this point of the series but I deliberately took creative licence with this.]**

**Reviews would really really be appreciated.**

xoxox

The bell above the door tinkled softly as Regina walked into Granny's. Ruby glanced up, saw the mayor and gave a brief nod of acknowledgement before returning her attention to the open magazine on the counter before her. Slightly bewildered Regina automatically nodded back, still unused to the townsfolk reacting to her as they would to anyone else rather than running, screaming, from her vicinity.

Looking around the room, Regina saw Henry seated in one of the end booths, a drink of chocolate cooling slowly before him as he was completely absorbed in his hand-held game. Much to Regina's surprise he was alone even though this was the day he was supposed to spend with Emma. Usually on these days the two of them would be as thick as thieves, attempting to cram as many activities as possible into the day. This was why Regina had come to the diner – she had expected the two of them to be there busily planning their day – a scenario which would have given her the chance to approach Emma. Regina's reasoning had been that Emma would've been less likely to make a spectacle in public and in front of Henry and this would've, perhaps, given Regina the chance to arrange a more discrete meeting to discuss the events of the previous night in a civilised manner.

Because it was something that she really needed to discuss with Miss Swan - confused feelings and thoughts were ripping Regina's very soul apart – or so it felt. Even now, she was certain that she was still experiencing a physical reaction to her oh-too-brief encounter with Miss Swan the previous evening while, at the same time, feeling a growing resentment towards the blonde for not having the decency to answer her phone at a time when Regina really needed to talk with her. Add to this, Regina's abrupt realisation of the depth of her true feelings for Emma, and she was nearly completely overwhelmed by the resulting emotional turmoil. It was a wonder that she had been able to maintain an illusion of being her usual cool, calm, collected self for as long as she had this morning.

Taking a deep calming breath, Regina strolled, in what she hoped appeared to be a completely nonchalant manner, over to the booth where Henry was sitting. Sliding into the seat opposite her beloved son, she smiled warmly at him.

Sensing her arrival, Henry looked up from the game and grinned back at her. "Hi Mom," he said cheerfully, "you looking for Emma?"

A slight frown creased Regina's forehead as she gave Henry a perplexed look. "What makes you assume I would be looking for Miss Swan, Henry?" As Henry was fully aware of what had occurred with Emma returning Marion to her husband, and the resulting fallout, Regina was unperturbed to continue, "She would be the last person on earth who I would want to think about, let alone actually see at present, wouldn't you think Henry?"

Henry grinned again and shrugged as he placed his console on the table and picked up his mug of cocoa– that non-committal shrug that Regina found both infuriating and adorable in equal measure.

Why did she have to raise a son who was so astute? Regina sighed inwardly. "As this is the day you usually spend with your birth mother, I assumed that she may have been here with you. Have you seen her yet this morning?"

"I knew it." Henry grinned yet again.

"Don't take my desire to speak with Miss Swan as necessarily being a good thing Henry. I may be looking for her in order to tell her to leave Storybrooke before she destroys anybody else's happiness," Regina stated emotionlessly.

Henry scrunched up his face as he thought about what his mother had said. After awhile he shook his head slightly and took a mouthful of his drink. He obviously disagreed with Regina but chose to say nothing about it. "Actually, she was here not long ago but she had to leave," he said.

Raising one immaculately shaped eyebrow, Regina asked, "Did she say why?"

Henry thought for a moment. "It was a bit weird actually," he mused. "We were both here like normal but then her phone rang. She didn't answer it but she got this really funny look on her face, kinda sad but there was something else as well." He paused to finish his drink while Regina wondered which one of more than a score of her attempted calls that particular call had been. "Emma said it was something had come up at work and then she had to leave. I didn't really think about it at the time, but how did she know she had to go to work if she didn't answer the phone?"

"I don't know Henry," Regina said truthfully. "Maybe she saw that it was a call from your grandpa and assumed she had to go help him with something." _Or she realised that I would probably come to the diner to look for her_, Regina thought to herself, _and decided to vacate the premises before any sort of encounter occurred between the two of them. That blonde is certainly an expert at running away from anything that might involve emotional upheaval_. Regina was determined that this time she most definitely wasn't going to allow Miss Swan to evade her. "If something has come up in Storybrooke then perhaps I need to go help assess the situation and see what needs to be done. It wouldn't be appropriate for the town mayor to remain oblivious of any crisis which might be happening," she said to Henry seriously – adroitly, she thought, setting the scene for her imminent departure from the diner.

Henry gave his mother an unreadable look and then frowned thoughtfully. "Yes," he nodded. "I think you should. It could only help."

Clearing her throat softly, Regina said, "Right then. I'll go." She paused. "I trust that you will be responsible and behave appropriately while gone."

"Sure Mom," Henry smiled. "I'll go and see how my Uncle Neal is. I don't think he'll lead me astray."

Smiling fondly at her son Regina said, "No, I don't expect that he will." Standing, she went over and kissed Henry on the forehead. "Just make sure that you don't lead him astray instead."

"I'll try not to."

Regina laughed. "I'll see you soon then if the emergency isn't a real emergency after all. Love you."

"I love you too," Henry said to Regina's back as she left the diner. He had a growing suspicion that there was a lot more going on than even he suspected.

Little did Henry know but more was happening than anyone could imagine.


	4. The Secluded Glade

**As I was planning this chapter I realised that it would be extremely long as a lot of things need to be set up for Act 2. So I was planning to split the chapter into two parts. However a whole lot of RL stuff jumped up and pummelled me a little so I thought I should make it three parts so you would actually have something to read for a change. Many apologies to all who are following the story – I seem to excel in being slow to update.**

xoxox

Gently closing the door of her beloved yellow bug, Emma locked up the vehicle – old Bostonian habits dying hard – and left the verge of the road to walk across to the edge of the forest that surrounded Storybrooke. Locating the entrance to a barely used trail that meandered amongst the trees, she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket and began to make her way down the path.

By the time Emma had reached the secluded grove which lay at the end of trail, the sharp edges of her anxiety had become less jagged as she approached her destination; the small grassy grove, almost completely enclosed by the clusters of trees that reached up, trying to touch the sky, and a large cluster of time-worn boulders that claimed one end of the copse. Tendrils of sunlight threaded through gaps in the overhead canopy to dapple the floor of the forest with warm and enticing pools of light. The gentle susurration of the wind through the treetops and the distant chirps of contented birds hidden amongst the leafy branches only seemed to enhance the somnambulistic atmosphere which permeated the area.

Emma sighed contentedly as she walked out onto the grass. This was her special place, a place she had stumbled across some time ago when she had been part of a search party trying to track down someone...or something...back when...that time when...well, she just couldn't quite remember exactly how she had discovered this secluded location. Even though her recollection of how she had stumbled upon this location was nothing more than a hazy memory lurking in the deepest recesses of her mind, all that really mattered now was that she **had** found this place and it seemed to bestow upon her a feeling of serenity that bordered on a complete acquiescence to life and all its foibles. As far as she was aware no-one else knew of this place and so it was truly a place she could call her own. Whenever she felt that she needed to relax, clear her head or try to think of some way to solve a problem she had encountered, this was where she could indulge in such activities without any fear of unwanted intrusion. She had told no-one about it – not even her beloved son, Henry – so she almost felt as if this was her own personal glade.

Softly sighing to herself, Emma wandered over to her favourite spot near the tumble of rounded boulders. Lowering herself to sit on the ground with her back against the reassuring bulk of the granite, she tilted her back against the rock and closed her eyes. The broken canopy above her allowed rays of sunlight to dance over her, trailing small kisses of warmth over her face. If only she was here enjoying the moment at a time when she was less perturbed by conflicting emotions – it only...then it would be a perfect way to spend a solitary hour or two.

Emma sighed again, more heavily this time. Opening her eyes, she moved her head forward and stared at her hands that she had unconsciously clasped and rested on her knees. She had a difficult decision to make, the most difficult decision she had to make since she had reluctantly given up Henry for adoption all those years ago. So many thoughts, ideas, conflicts of emotion were racing through her mind at an ever-increasing rate Emma was certain that her brain would implode from the intensity of the turmoil of her feelings but she knew that it all really boiled down to what the answer to one simple question. Should she leave or should she go?


	5. Should I Leave or Should I Go?

**Note – in the near future you will be meeting a new character from outside the OUAT canon – some may think that they recognise this character from another television show – but I can assure you that I have referred to the original mythologies in order to develop the character for reasons which will become clear as the story progresses.**

**Warning – Potentially very strong triggers ahead.**

xoxox

It all was so complicated really, even though the problem seemed so simple. Emma knew that she could no longer deny her feelings towards Regina – beautiful, intelligent, independent Regina. The Regina who had made it abundantly clear as to her own feelings towards Emma, and they were definitely not ones that mirrored Emma's own. Emma knew that kissing Regina had probably been the biggest mistake she had ever made in her entire life. There was no way that she could return to the sleepy town of Storybrooke.

Well, she could but she would have to face down the wrath of Regina who would, no doubt, make it abundantly clear that Emma was no longer welcome in Her town and would persist in making things uncomfortable for Emma until she gave in and fled. Basically stubborn in nature, a trait Emma had developed in childhood in order to survive its ordeals, she could choose to return and try to weather the storm – if not for herself, then for Henry. But when it came to Henry it would probably be kinder to him in the long run if she was to leave now, before Regina decided it would be prudent to hunt her down. It would hurt Henry so much to bear witness to such devastating friction between his two moms. Sure, he would be upset that she had gone without saying goodbye but Emma felt that this solution would be the least painful for her son. Anyway, she had already abandoned him once before so it wasn't as if he would be surprised by it.

Emma sighed heavily, blinking away the tears that threatened to obscure her vision. When push came to shove it came down to selecting one of two possible choices. She could go, cross the boundary around Storybrooke, travel far away, assume a new identity and pretend that these past few years were nothing more than a vague and distorted dream. It was true that she would feel her loss keenly at first but, as she had learnt while trapped within the foster system, such feelings would gradually fade with time and she had the chance of living a relatively happy life even though there would always be that dull ache that would forever nag at her faintly in the back of her mind. A hope to experience happiness but unfortunately not a certainty.

Or she could leave. Once and for all. Forever. Emma awkwardly drew her revolver from its holster where it had been digging into her hip. Holding it in both hands, she examined it closely. It would be so easy, so final but it would solve all her problems and completely still that anguished twisting in her soul. Of course she would have to cross the boundary so nobody would think of following her, and find some secluded spot where nobody would ever be likely to find her. She had run away from difficult situations many times before but this would be the ultimate escape. Nobody would ever be able to hurt her again. She knew it wasn't really the right solution but she had never felt so alone, so unwanted as at this moment in time. She wouldn't really be missed, not for long anyhow, and the one she had come to love probably wouldn't even notice her absence. Perhaps it would be for the best.

The hardest decision in her life. Maybe even the final decision. Emma smiled to herself at the inadvertent black humour. She sat awhile enjoying the warmth of the day and weighed up the pros and cons of both choices. Finally she made her choice and realised that all she had to do now was...

"My dear, you finally answered my summons." A honeyed voice from the edge of the clearing broke Emma's train of thought.

Startled Emma looked up from the gun and saw a tall, lithe woman with long dark hair that hung freely, reaching her waist. This beautiful young woman was carrying a small chest and smiled at Emma as she approached her.

Starting to scramble to her feet, Emma found herself suddenly pressed back against the boulder, as if glued there. "Who are you? What do you want?" Emma was suddenly full of angry questions.

"Emma, Emma, Emma," The woman shook her head, almost condescendingly, as she came over to the rocky outcrop and knelt beside the trapped blonde. Carefully placing the chest on the grass beside her, the woman reached out and pushed a strand of blonde hair back behind Emma's ear. "Did you know," she said, "that they say that if you say something ten times it becomes yours forever. That means I only have to say your name seven more times and you will become mine for all eternity. Do you think I should?"

"Look lady," Emma hissed angrily between gritted teeth, "you haven't answered my questions. Who are you and what the hell do you want with me?"

Smiling beatifically the woman gestured towards the container on the ground beside her. "Isn't it obvious my dear Emma? I'm Pandora."

xoxox

**Obvious questions will be answered in the near future.**

**NB – If you are a person who feels as much despair as Emma does in this chapter, do not fall into the trap that Emma did and think that such a decision is an easy decision. It isn't. If you feel this way talk to someone you can trust about how you feel. If you feel that you can't trust anyone there are plenty of other avenues of help – both by phone and on the internet. Please try these options before even considering robbing this world of your unique and shining light.**


	6. MIA

_Just let me say what I've come to say Regina. Then I'm outta here and you'll never see me again._

The ignored phone calls, the surreptitious abandonment of Henry in the diner and now, the presence of the Sheriff's Cruiser outside the jail-house despite the "something's come up" excuse given to her son – these things all started to add up for Regina as she thought, for the first time, about exactly what Emma had said to her the previous evening.

Maybe the kiss had been merely intended to distract Regina from the message underlying what she had said. Oh, she knew the kiss had been genuine – that had been more than obvious – but she wondered if Emma had intended the kiss as a means to start to bridge the gulf that had grown between them or if Emma had been subtly farewelling the woman she had just professed her love to. Regina was starting to get a terrible sinking feeling in her stomach that it had been the latter.

Regina chided herself mentally – she could just be reading more into Emma's statement than was really intended. Maybe something had occurred that had required her helping her father in maintaining law and order in this generally quiet town. Maybe the cruiser was parked out front because they had already brought the situation under control. Maybe Emma wasn't responding to Regina's calls because she had been...well...because she had been completely absorbed in whatever she had been doing. Maybe she hadn't answered the phone because she would rather have Regina speak to her in person. Maybe she didn't accept the calls because she was afraid that Regina would unleash a tirade of anger upon her. You can always tell if someone is lying when they spoke on the phone. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe Regina was just making a mountain out of a molehill. But she just couldn't get that snippet of the conversation out of her head.

Damn it, she was the mayor. She was the one in control. She was the one who decided what was what in Storybrooke – no wilful but oh so good-looking blonde upstart was going to undermine her authority. Still, Regina paused to make sure that her outfit was immaculate before striding into the jail-house. Subconsciously she wanted to look her best when she confronted Emma.

The door swung shut behind her with a quiet click as she started down the short passageway that led to the Sheriffs' offices. The sinking feeling resumed its descent into the abyss that had once been Regina's stomach when Emma's desk came into view and her familiar red jacket wasn't draped over the back of her chair as usual. As she moved further down the hall, David Nolan's desk came into view. David was seated there totally engrossed in completing a stack of paperwork. _Probably some of Emma's as well_, Regina thought wryly, knowing too well the blonde's penchant for putting off doing paperwork until the last minute.

As soon as it became obvious to Regina that David was oblivious to her presence, she cleared her throat deliberately.

"Emma," David began as he looked up, expecting to she his daughter. As he knew that Regina was deliberately avoiding Emma, he was genuinely surprised to see Regina standing there instead. "Ah, Madam Mayor, what can I help you with?"

Regina got straight to the point "Miss Swan. Have you seen her today?"

David sat in stunned silence for a moment – he couldn't work out why Regina would want to know the whereabouts of the person she hated. Surely Regina wasn't planning to do something drastic to Emma.

Regina snapped her fingers in front of David's face impatiently. "Come on Charming, I haven't got all day. It's a simple enough question, have you seen Miss Swan today?"

"What's it to you?" David asked defensively, frowning at his boss. "Are you planning to turn her into a toad or a bug or something? I know you Madam Mayor and I know Emma would have to be the last person on earth that you'd want to locate."

Regina sighed, rolling her eyes in her mind, and put her fingers on her forehead as she regained her composure. God, how she despised the shepherd sometimes. Lowering her hand, Regina said flatly, "It is of no concern to you as to what business I have with Miss Swan, but I will tell you that I am extremely interested in finding out why she abandoned my son at the diner."

"But why come here? It's her day off." David looked at Regina blankly.

Regina sighed again, more heavily this time, the vein on her forehead becoming more prominent with each second. "She told Henry that she had to come and help you with some situation. So I came to see if that was the case or if your daughter has decided to become even more irresponsible in her actions. So?" Regina looked expectantly at David, her eyebrows raised.

"This is the first I've heard about any of this," David admitted, rising from his seat. "It doesn't sound typical of Emma to lie to Henry. There's something not right about all this."

"You think?" Regina asked sarcastically. "Do you have any idea where she would want to go and not have Henry know about it?"

"The Jolly Roger," David suggested, even though he didn't like the idea of that dreaded pirate laying his hands on his daughter.

Regina snorted in disbelief. "As if. In Hook's dreams perhaps, but not in reality. Come on Charming, think."

David did think, hard, but had to eventually shake his head. "Sorry Regina, I can't think of anywhere. Have you tried calling her?"

Knowing that Charming wouldn't have a clue as to what had happened the previous evening, Regina visibly rolled her eyes at him. "And she would definitely want to answer a call from the person in town who despises her?"

"You've got a point there."

"Yes, I know. Why don't you try calling her?"

David tried Emma's number and then shook his head. "Straight to message bank."

"Something is not adding up here," Regina stated flatly.

"Something is definitely wrong," David agreed. "I think we need to find her as soon as possible. Can't you use a locator spell to find her or should we go and see Gold?"

Regina's skin crawled at the thought of having to go and strike yet another deal with Gold – Rumplestiltskin only ever wanted what was best for himself. "If she's within the magical boundary I can find her. But I need to gather a few ingredients from my vault first." She poked David in the chest with her forefinger. "You stay here and wait for me."

"Do you want me to gather some other people to help with the search?"

"With my spell we won't need them. And what if it turns out to be something insignificant? Do you think Miss Swan is going to thank her dad for embarrassing her publicly?" Regina poked David again. "Now, stay, like the good Charming you are." With a flick of her wrist Regina disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

David stood by his desk, waiting and worrying.

xoxoxox

_Note – A big thank you to those who have commented on this story, and thanks too, to those who are following this tale. I would really appreciate more feedback though as I really don't know if people are enjoying this or not. I feel like I'm sending each chapter out into a void which just gobbles it up._


	7. Pandora's Hope Chest

Bewildered, Emma gaped at the woman kneeling beside her. "Pandora? But..." She glanced at the container sitting on the ground. "So that's your...?"

"Hope chest, Emma? Yes," Pandora gave a girlish giggle. "I thought the name most appropriate. "And that's five."

Even more confused, Emma stammered, "But Neverland? We used your, well, Gold said it was yours. So how come you...?"

Pandora gave another giggle. "Oh Emma, six, you silly girl – you've made the same mistake that all mortals seem to make. The box doesn't determine who I am, I determine what the box is." Reaching out to caress the chest's lid, she explained, "When my fathers created me all those ages ago, they gave me a vase, of all things. It had nothing to seal it with so of course all the ills and evils of the world escaped to plague mankind. I was just used by the gods as the scapegoat for unleashing misery on the the world." She smiled to herself. "Naturally I 'accidentally' dropped it – whoops – and replaced it with an urn which had a stopper at least. Over the centuries I've had many containers that have been used to confine hope – some broken, some stolen – such as the one you and your friends used in Neverland." She rose to her feet and, picking up the chest, she walked a short distance from Emma to stand in a patch of shade.

Emma tried to stand but discovered that her limbs were still pinioned by some invisible force. "What do you want with me, you bitch? When I get the chance I'm gonna..."

"Rip my heart out Emma?" Pandora pretended to look shocked. "But isn't that the specialty of your beloved Regina? My, my Emma, hanging out with that woman has most certainly corrupted your values. And that's eight." Pandora laughed, a full throaty laugh that vastly contrasted with the girlish giggling she had affected earlier. "You're not going to ever be able to touch me."

"I said," Emma snarled angrily, "what the hell do you want with me?"

Pandora gave a twisted smile. "I suppose I can divulge that much. You have great power within you, immense power – enough to draw me to you in order to take advantage of it. Once I have finished with you, I will finally be able to pay my fathers back for making me bear the blame for the suffering inflicted upon humans."

"How? I don't understand what you're going on about." Emma was becoming more confused by the second. "I know I have some magic but Regina and Rumplestiltskin..."

"Aren't even in your league Emma. Sure they have great magical skills and they're both broken in their own ways, but you, me dear, are the most broken of them all and that is what I need."

"Huh? You're crazy lady."

Pandora laughed again. "That was nine by the way, just so you know. It's all the lost hope that used to be yours – combined with your magic it becomes something immensely powerful indeed."

"I still don't get what you mean," Emma said, trying to stall this obviously insane woman until she could think of a way out of her predicament.

Pandora opened the chest she was holding, reached in, and withdrew a handful of something that looked like opaque indigo-coloured jelly. It twisted and writhed on her open palm with a life of its own. "This is some of your lost hope dear. When you develop a hope that something will occur and then it doesn't, well, the hope you held is shattered – dust in the wind. And then I can capture it. Your hopes of ever being adopted; your hopes of a happy life with Neal; your hopes of forging an enduring friendship with Regina; even your hopes of your relationship with Regina turning into something more permanent and intimate: all shattered and all in my possession. I have been collecting lost hope for ever so long and now, finally, I have the opportunity to do whatever I want. And it's all thanks to you Emma."

As Pandora said Emma's name for the tenth time, the blonde woman slumped back against the rock, unconscious.

"And ten." Pandora smiled to herself before she addressed the oblivious figure before her. "Really I'm doing you a favour – you wouldn't like to be conscious for what happens next." Returning Emma's hope to the chest, she carefully closed the lid and set the chest back down on the ground. With a small gesture she dismissed the spell that had been restraining Emma. Then, using both hands to make the required gestures, she levitated Emma's limp body high into the air.

"No loose ends, my dear," she muttered as she made a sharp cutting gesture with her hands, allowing Emma's body to fall and break on the boulders beneath.

Calmly bending and scooping up the chest, Pandora turned and walked away to disappear amongst the trees. Not once did she deign look back at her handiwork.


End file.
